Category: Historical Issues

The story of Zelph – even though it’s outside the narrative of the Book of Mormon – comes from a tendency of Joseph Smith to make up revelation on the fly to suit his purposes and to bolster faith in his followers.

“President Hinckley spoke of those outside the Church who say Latter-day Saints ‘do not believe in the traditional Christ,’ ‘No, I don’t. The traditional Christ of whom they speak is not the Christ of whom I speak.”
Mormonism teaches that every human being is born a child of God. No one can attain this new birth by his or her own power, merit, or ability. Only God can grant it. It is a gift of God.

Have you ever prayed to know if the Book of Abraham is true?
Does the promise in the Book of Mormon – to pray and ask God if it is true – doesn’t apply to the Book of Abraham?
How can you trust that the Book of Abraham is the word of God?

Neither the Bible nor any Mormon Scripture specifically state that the atonement occurred in the Garden of Gethsemane. Because to have the atonement occur in the garden would be contrary to the narrative of the entire Word of God.

Did Joseph Smith write himself into Mormon scripture in order to convince people he was a prophet?

It’s apparent that these scriptural passages came through one man. And it’s the same man who is the object of those prophecies – Joseph Smith.
Doesn’t that seem self-serving and arrogant of Joseph Smith to write himself into the narrative of what is called Mormon scripture?